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Former Conservative Treasury Minister, Lord Jim O’Neil has told the BBC that gloomy predictions for the post-Brexit UK economy are likely to be ‘dwarfed’ by global growth figures surpassing expectations.

He said: “I certainly wouldn’t have thought the UK economy would be as robust as it currently seems.

“That is because some parts of the country, led by the North West, are actually doing way better than people seem to realise or appreciate.

“As well as this crucial fact, the rest of the world is also doing way better than many people would have thought a year ago, so it makes it easier for the UK.”

Meanwhile, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of Blackstone Group, said: “It’s a time of enormous ebullience, part of which was created by really good economic growth.”

However, also at Davos, Barclays CEO, Jes Staley warned against excessive optimism about the state of the global economy.

He said: “Equity markets are at an all-time high and volatility is at an all-time low – that is not a sustainable proposition”.

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